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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. land — a country
  8. spring — of water
  9. content — the amount
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. board — a committee
  12. land — to come down
  13. pitch — completely
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. content — happy
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. land — ground
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. craft — boats
  23. fine — high quality
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com